


Aspect of the Raven

by Enchantedtalisman



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Harry leaves the Dursleys, M/M, No relationship till Harry's Older (around 16 I'm mulling it over)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24903103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchantedtalisman/pseuds/Enchantedtalisman
Summary: When Hagrid ends the shopping trip, Harry promises to go on his own."I've lived with...mundanes," Harry says, stumbling over the other word he's heard some wixen (another word he's heard during this trip) use for muggles, and it feels far less offensive, "I can get home by myself, I just want to see a bit more of Diagon Alley, if that's alright? You said it's perfectly safe."Hagrid hums and haws, but eventually he yields. Perhaps if the mystery package wasn't burning a hole in his pocket he wouldn't have caved so easily, but thankfully he does.When Harry is alone with his purchases (thank whatever Gods wixen worship that he has shrunk, light weight magiced bags) and the owl, he mulls over what to do first.
Relationships: Eventual Harry Potter/Oliver Wood, Harry Potter/Oliver Wood
Comments: 10
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TFW it feels like every trope you love is filled with Pro Voldemort, pro death eater, pro abuser, and bashing galore. So you have to write your own fic.
> 
> Enjoy ~ <3

When Hagrid ends the shopping trip, Harry promises to go on his own.

"I've lived with...mundanes," Harry says, stumbling over the other word he's heard some wixen (another word he's heard during this trip) use for muggles, and it feels far less offensive, "I can get home by myself, I just want to see a bit more of Diagon Alley, if that's alright? You said it's perfectly safe."

Hagrid hums and haws, but eventually he yields. Perhaps if the mystery package wasn't burning a hole in his pocket he wouldn't have caved so easily, but thankfully he does.

When Harry is alone with his purchases (thank whatever Gods wixen worship that he has shrunk, light weight magiced bags) and the owl, he mulls over what to do first.

Living with the Dursley's gives odd mixes of long contemplation and short bursts of action and thought processes. Which means that Harry has a relatively simple plan quickly enough. First he goes looking for another Inn--he's tempted to go back to the Leaky Cauldron but all that attention had made his skin crawl, and that had been _with_ Hagrid as a minor buffer. He doesn't want any part of that mob without Hagrid around.

On his search, Harry finds a glamour shop; or rather _Make Up Yourself_. It's a little nerve-wracking entering considering how many strangers are in there, but thankfully no one really pays attention to him.

There's an assortment of items to see and it's all a bit flustering. Brushes that can give every color of the rainbow to your eyelids, the box says, and the sample brush helpfully gives Harry a light blue swathe across his eyelids. He debates buying it for only a second before he shakes his head; he came here for a purpose, extra items can be a future concern.

Another is a scrubber that seems determined to find every crease and damaged skin and clear it off of the people nearby. Harry learns that his chin and neck have sun damage from the tutting scrubber and feels oddly refreshed afterwards.

 _Finally_ , Harry finds a small makeup set that _doesn't_ try to do anything, but is said to have all the supplies needed for everyday hair use for two years. He buys it and pays the three galleons. It's worth the price because the second he uses it on the top-front of his hair it lays blessedly flat for the first time since ever and he doesn't have to worry about people seeing his scar anymore.

Then it's back onto the streets looking for a place to stay for the night. It's surprisingly difficult to navigate the Alley, some spots just seem to interconnect to other parts with no rhyme or reason. But Harry is determined, this might be his _chance_ to never go back to the Dursley's.

Eventually, after slipping into another shop and buying a new pair of glasses that say they will help stop his eyes from deteriorating further, Harry finds _The Prancing Unicorn_.

It's a little cleaner than the Leaky Cauldron but not painfully wealthy or snobbish. A few costumers look at him for only a second before seeming to lose interest.

"What can I do for you dear?" The man? No, person--wixen behind the counter asks, smiling charmingly. Their hair is all sorts of colors, from reds to greens to browns. Melding from one to the next.

"Ah...your hair is very pretty." Harry stammers and then wishes he could die. That was not at all what he had wanted to say.

The wixen laughs loud and freely, "Aren't you quite the charmer, hmm? Thank you very much, it took quite a lot of practice to get it to this point." They wink and then lean forward, not enough to make Harry uncomfortable, but to make their eyes show; which are a soft brown that are filled with a dark warmth that feels like safety.

"I-er, I need a place to stay for the night, I can pay!" Harry adds, and almost shows his bag full of galleons before he remembers that would be a very foolish idea.

"Pay? Darling, you can't be more than eleven, no no let's get you a warm meal and a change of clothes, and some food for your lovely owl." They pull out a willowy white wand and flick a few times.

Suddenly Harry feels different and he looks down to realize he's wearing a new set of clothes and a strong smell makes him realize that there's literal plate full of juicy meat and vegetables on the bar where there once wasn't anything at all. "D-did you conjure that?" His eyes are wide and he can't wait to _learn_ for once.

The bartender laughs and shakes their head, "I could, but why conjure it when my lovely wife can cook amazing meals?"

"Not as amazing as yours, Brandon," A woman says and like magic the back of the bar parts like water and she appears. Her hair isn't as dazzling as her spouses, but a rich brown verging on black with indigo highlights. Her skin is darker than Brandon's a shade just verging away from obsidian black. her eyes a dark brown that look just as kindly as Brandon's.

"Kiara, you're too kind, love." Brandon grins and then pulls her into a hug. They look so happy together

Thankfully Harry is able to keep the tears and jealousy at bay.

"You're the mystery lad Brandon offered free home too." Kiara suddenly says and then smiles at Harry's expression (Harry's not really sure what his face is doing right now, like he's lost a bit of control of it), "Don't worry lad, Brandon's a big old softie, they do this all the time."

Harry nods, and mutters a quick, "Thanks."

Somehow in less then half an hour Harry has eaten a very _good_ meal, has made two new friends, and been prompted to name the owl (Raven, after one of the founders of Hogwarts), and given an unnecessarily large room to sleep in.

"As long as you need, love." Brandon tells Harry and pats a handkerchief against Harry's cheeks which suddenly feel wet from tears and removing crust from _old_ tears, "Harry you have a safe place here, forever, alright?"

 _Forever_ , Harry doesn't know how they can keep that promise--especially since the last person that had tried had forgotten all about Harry, but he can't help the hope in his heart.

When Brandon and Kiara hug Harry, it's the best one he's ever had.


	2. Chapter 2

Living at the _Prancing Unicorn_ is strange, and yet _amazing_.

If Harry had thought Brandon's hair and style was wild and beautiful; the people who visit the Prancing Unicorn are even better.

Some wixen that Harry sees transform from simply beautiful men to glittering and colorful women with mesmerizing voices that sing every few nights. Endless men, women and n-non binary folk (It takes a while for Harry to sound out the new word) fill the pub and there's rarely a day that goes by that Harry doesn't meet a regular or a new wixen.

This has to be the best year of Harry's life, if he's being honest.

Of course it's not _just_ meeting people.

The second day, Brandon sets down a bunch of what look like long thin stems with flat oval leaves, "Mind helping me cut up some Dittany, Harry? You can think of it as payment if you're still miffed about not paying board."

Which of course Harry quickly accepts, "Yes!" And watches Brandon intently as they cut the stems, roll the leaves and crush, and sometimes even cut the leaves. The three piles start forming quickly and Harry's not sure how Brandon gets all the juice from the crushed leaves into the bowl but thankfully they say;

"Don't worry about crushing the leaves, at least not until Kiara teaches you some spells," Brandon grins at Harry and their hair turns bright red, "But it would be a great help, the Queer Wixen Coalition can always use healing salves and Dittany is useful in a myriad of transition potions and surgeries." They don't explain what a transition potion is but Harry is determined to help.

So, for the first morning Harry spends a majority of it cutting leaves and stems of Dittany, learning just how thin and precise to cut it. Thankfully his errors aren't punished and Brandon even gives him a treat at the end; a large bowl of brownie and ice cream.

In the afternoon Kiara takes Harry towards the back of the Pub, into a different hallway away from the kitchen, beds, and of course the owner's 'home'; towards what looks to appear to be a room library large enough for several adults to read comfortably and alone.

Brandon wasn't fibbing when they said that Kiara would teach Harry.

"I know you said you aren't going to start school yet, but a little extra tutelage to the mundane-born can't hurt can it?" Kiara and Brandon hadn't _asked_ if Harry was mundane born so it's a little shocking to hear it from her lips. She smiles at Harry, "We've held a few runaways in our day." She says nothing else about it but starts pulling out books.

At first Harry admittedly hates it, not because of Kiara who is lovely, but _books_. Slowly, though, Kiara's reading voice penetrates; the way magic is a fluid form that can create, break, and mend. It makes something start sprouting inside of Harry's mind. The ability to make and mend sound so appealing to Harry and all the ways to do so are in these books. She allows him to search the shelves for whatever might interest Harry, after casting a spell on Harry, "Just insurance, I don't want you reading any books that might bite your fingers off, or that may taint your magic, there are some books in this library best left for the more controlled and advanced wixen."

  
  


  
  


After the first day, it's almost an unseen (at least as far as Harry knows) schedule mornings are spent with Brandon, afternoons with Kiara, either reading a book that Harry picks or Kiara going over basics that he will need to learn during his Hogwarts years.

Late afternoon to evenings is...Harry's time. Sometimes spent with Raven in his room because the crowds at night make him uncomfortable, and other times in the pub sitting near Brandon (or Kiara depending on the night and who cooks) watching the assortment of Wixen in their groups that tend to change at intervals Harry doesn't understand. At first he had thought it was a little like school the smart kids sitting with eachother and the kids who liked running together; but it's more like the ocean distinct and different waves from close up, but from far away appearing to be a uniform center of water.

"Deep thoughts kid?" One of the regulars, Martin asks, he's got a wicked smile and handsome features. The first time Harry had spoken he had felt an odd flip in his belly and when he had asked Brandon if there was something wrong with him the two adults had giggled and promised there wasn't anything wrong with Harry, just love starting to bloom; whatever _that_ meant.

"N-No," Harry glares at Brandon who's laughing at him, he _knows_ they are. "Just...really happy. This has been the best summer of my life." He says it expecting some of the same reactions he's gotten from other patrons here, but instead he gets contemplative looks from Brandon and Martin.

"How about we make it even better?" Martin asks and his wand comes out, it's a thin wand, more so than even Brandon's but it's a stunning green-brown that he seems rather proud of; Acacia he had once told Harry.

"Like how?" Harry honestly can't figure out how it could possibly be better.

"Please don't blow up the bar," Is what Brandon says before going to answer one of their patrons calling them.

"Magic practice," Martin says and spins his wand, a sprinkle of water fills the air, like dew-drops.

Even though Brandon and Kiara do magic almost all the time, it will never grow old, and Harry's eyes are wide and his heart is beating so hard in his chest, "YES!" He says, and obediently takes his own wand out when Martin tells him too.

"This is called the Dew Drop spell, it's not very impressive mind, except for people like my husband, wife, and I. None of us like doing the gardening," Martin grins cheekily.

Harry grins back, a little drop of disappointment filling the back of his mind but he doesn't really know why, instead he focuses on the wand movements and the instructions Martin gives him.

Thankfully, they don't burn down the bar, but Harry's first attempt sends water jetting over Martin and his own head.

Brandon turns at the sound and starts roaring with laughter.

The other patrons are no help, laughing just as loud.

Martin guffaws and dries them with a flick of his wand, "You're rather powerful, Harry, I can't wait to see what you become." His hand runs through Harry's hair that's still a little wet.

Harry blushes and grins, feeling a bursting affection for his new home.


	3. Chapter 3

Days blur into weeks, and Harry only belatedly realizes that he had meant to go to Gringotts and look for a Potter property he could live in.

"Alone?" Brandon asks and it's the most they've ever looked disappointed in Harry.

Harry flushes, "I can cook and clean." He says and feels mildly uncomfortable with the shared look Kiara and Brandon give eachother.

"How about you keep working here and since it's about a week since Hogwarts starts, we can go to Gringotts with you next year if you decide you want more space?" Kiara asks, and her expression isn't _pleased_ but the fact that the two are giving Harry a choice is more than anyone else has done.

"Sure," Harry says, and doesn't admit that he doubts he wants to live alone if they still want him around.

  
  


Spells, magical knowledge, potion practices, all of these things and more Harry learns in the month and a half that he lives at the _Prancing Unicorn_. Harry wasn't lying when he said it was the best summer ever.

"My head hurts." Harry whines, and feels that same apprehension he always does when he complains nowadays.

But Kiara has never hit him like Aunt Petunia, and today is no different. She chuckles, a beautiful sound that leaves her crimson-indigo lips and ruffles Harry's hair, "I think you can have a break then, we wouldn't want your brain to melt before you even reached Hogwarts, hmm?"

Harry looks up and grins, of course he also takes his new favorite book; Mending the Body, a Healer's best friend says the cover.

Kiara shakes her head and follows him out of the Prancing Unicorn's library with an indulgent smile.

"Harry," One of the patrons, Trixy if he remembers Xir name right, says in greeting. Xe is still reading Xir paper so Harry only waves cheerfully before settling down in his corner booth.

Right next to the bar, but not on one of the stools, Harry loves this booth. It's the best place to be when it's crowded because most of the adults leave him well enough alone.

Today the late lunch is busier than normal, and Harry starts reading his book, but gets distracted by the people.

There are so many, and they're a rainbow of colors, from skin tone to actual clothing. Harry's pretty sure he even sees a man with pointed ears, and tinted green to their tawny brown skin, and a stout wixen with a beard that reminds him of the pictures of Dwarves that Kiara showed him a week or two back.

Martin is somewhere, Harry saw him, but with his spouses, and Harry still doesn't know why he feels a little upset whenever he sees them so avoids them for now.

Instead he just watches and listens to a beautiful wixen with scales across their face sing. Tiny specs of light start appearing as they sing, and grow brighter when they crescendo before settling back into dim specs.

Harry claps with the rest of the pub when they finish and sort of loses track of time when a man gets on stage with golden blonde hair and blue eyes, a classic veela if the feathers in his hair is any indication (for some reason Incubi, succubi, vampires, and veela were some of the first things Kiara taught Harry about and what they looked like so he could know about them, she said it was more out of a need for Harry to be safe rather than anything to do with prejudice and then started ranting about how every magical creature deserved full rights under the law, he had no idea how to respond and so had just listened patiently). His singing is impeccable and the fire that lights across his body, curling around his outfit in certain ways, flowing like water, is a sight to see.

It's a good last night in the Prancing Unicorn. Harry tries to remember every bit of it, and he does _not_ cry when the winning singer, Xir name is "Isabel, darling," shares Xir winning prize of Brandon's delicious cake with Harry.

 _Best summer ever_.

  
  


"Did you remember your wand?" Brandon asks, and who knew they would be such a worrywart.

Harry nods and sighs in relief when Kiara pulls all three of them into a hug, "Don't let the teachers scare you, and you owl us every month please." She says.

"I thought we agreed every week," Brandon huffs only to get twin fond eyerolls from Harry and Kiara. They cross their arms but there's a smile on their lips and they sniff, "Go have fun, and remember anyone asks about your scar--"

Oh boy, and hadn't it been a surprise that his two new adult minders (because calling them parents was a hard no, and guardians felt weird since he had only known them for a month) knew who he was, and that they were very sure he should;

"Stick my wand in their face and tell them if I want to make a new scar for them to see." Harry dutifully repeats just to see Kiara glare at them both.

"You're going to get a month of detention if you say that, dammit Brandon, you're terrible." Poor Kiara can't hold back her grin though and runs a hand over Harry's hair, flattened by his magical hair softner again to hide his scar, "But really tell them it's none of their business kid, you're not a side show. Go have fun,"

It takes a little longer, and another hug for Harry to actually leave them, nervous and suddenly bereft of the first good people he's known since well who knows, probably since his time with Lily and James Potter.

The train is...well, a train, but it's the first time Harry's been on one so he's still excited. (Thankfully Trixy had offered Harry a new trunk with lightweight and three separate compartments with a mid level locking charm that was keyed to Harry's magical signature for ten games of chess (Harry didn't _like_ chess but he had refused to take Trixy's trunk without paying Xer back)) He takes the first empty compartment that's in the last car of the train, if only because he knows he does not want to talk a lot something he's learned over the weeks of living in a pub.

Just as Harry is pushing his trunk, thank the Gods of Wixen for featherlight charms, up onto the carrying compartment he hears the whistle signaling the last warning for boarding and leaving. He feels a shiver of excitement. To finally go to a school of magic; where his parents, and some of the Prancing Unicorn had gone too! He couldn't keep his excitement at bay and spent more than a little time practicing the _Lumos, Dew Drop_ , and _Minor Shield_ spells that Martin and Brandon had taught him. Doing magic was soothing, and it's a surprise when Harry looks up and sees Brandon and Kiara waving cheerfully ten or so paces away from his window compartment. He barely gets in a wave before the train station disappears from site.

 _Hogwarts here I come!_ Harry thinks with delight ending his _Minor Shield_ (a puffy cloud of smoke that Kiara had promised would do what Brandon said and block low level curses and hexes) with a downward turn of his wand.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, Kudos are all lovely.
> 
> As an aside;
> 
> Amal is a long standing reader since the age of thirteen; he/him pronouns, he loves anything to do with fantasy and sci fi as long as it's not painfully heteronormative/albiest/homophobic/intentionally very dark/gritty. He also has a ridiculously needy pup by the name of Little Bear.
> 
> Out of all the things Amal wants to do is put as much good into the world as he can before he meets Anubis.
> 
> You can find more of Amal's silliness/writing at;  
>  [Wordpress](https://enchantedtalisman.wordpress.com/blog/)  
> [Tumblr](https://enchantedtalisman.tumblr.com)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ForlornGriffon)
> 
> ~All the love friendlies
> 
> ~~Black Lives Matter, and ESPECIALLY Black TRANS lives matter, and if you don't think so please do not read or interact with my works.
> 
> ~~Comments does _not_ mean unsolicited critiques. It does not matter if YOU think it might help, it does not help _me_ , you're getting free fiction, enjoy it and if you can't censor yourself leave me alone


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